Face Of Love
by XxXCrystalized-TearsXxX
Summary: Mikan, Natsume and everyone else are preparing for a graduation that means freedom for some and hell for others but who is this new boy following Mikan around? What will Natsume do about him and what will he do about Natsume? 16up
1. Preface

Preface

The steaming beads of water pricked Mikan's skin like blazing needles. She stared down at the water carrying mud and blood down the drawn. Not her blood, it was never her blood.

She could feel a watchful stare on her but she knew who it was-Natsume. She began to aimlessly pull her fingers through her lose tangled hair. As she waited for the water to loosen her tightened muscles she thought.

They were 17 now and graduation was fast approaching, but what was graduation to those in the Dangerous Ability class? To her classmates graduation was a ceremony that promised freedom, but to her and Natsume it was a punishment. They weren't escaping, instead they were losing what was dear to them.

After graduation they would never see the friends they made through all the years at the Alice Academy. The years full of joy, hope, fear, tears, dreams, love and many emotions that couldn't be put into words. For Mikan and Natsume graduation would take all of this away and force them into a life of killing.

Mikan heard Natsume shift his weight uncomfortably as a lost tear found its way down her face. She bit her lip and forced a reassuring smile that failed to touch her longing eyes. She longed to be able to show her weaknesses again, longed to be a normal carefree girl again. Even if they were released from this punishment, the day when they could lead a normal life would never come.

They were already far too scarred to lead a normal life. They would be haunted by whispers of those they killed and the loved ones hurt in the process. As they laughed they would hear the screams of terror-of pain-in the back of their head.

Mikan turned the water off slowly and for a while just continued to look down. She pulled a towel around her and shyly asked Natsume to turn around. Without a word he obeyed. He remained still and silent until he felt Mikan's damp arms around his chest and her soaked hair pressing into his back.

"I'm sorry..." Mikan whispered, "Just let me stay like this for a little while longer." Her arms tightened as Natsume stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. She knew that he didn't want the higher ups to know about their relationship, if they knew it would just be another thing to threaten them with.

"Mikan..." Natsume sighed, she flinched at the sound of her name passing his lips. He turned to face her, his eyes-full of concern-burned into her. She pulled her hand free and slowly brushed his face letting her fingers feel every aspect of his face. He gently grabbed her hand and held it to his face, slowly he bent his face to hers. When their faces were just inches away he sighed and dropped his head, letting her hand fall to her side.

"Natsume, I'm sorry." Mikan chocked out. Natsume could tell that she was close to tears and while he wanted to hold her in his arms instead to turned and began to walk out of the room. Mikan's head fell and she let a few tears escape. She knew why he didn't hold her, why he didn't kiss her. She understood perfectly, still, she couldn't help but feel slightly rejected like he didn't want her or just wasn't good enough for him.

She stared at herself in the mirror, carefully examining every detail of her face and body. She had hair that flowed to the middle of her back, her eyelashes her long and dark, her eyes were like fresh hazel nuts, large and bright. She thought about what she looked like when they first met, she thought about the similarities and the differences.

She touched the face that stared back at her in the mirror, suddenly it seemed like she was starring into the eyes of a stranger. She felt her legs give out from under her and in a matter of seconds all of her weaknesses and fears came rushing out of her. She held her hands tightly to her face as if trying to keep it all inside. She felt a scream ripping its way through were throat to get to the outside.

Only seconds later Natsume was back in the room starring at Mikan broken and helpless on the ground. He wrapped his arms around her and remained silent letting his presence comfort her. Seeing her like this filled him with regret, guilt, and a burning hatred. Hatred toward the people who changed her and hatred towards himself for not being able to help.

Mikan grabbed at Natsume's sleeves holding herself to him. She let her body fit into his like they were each simply incomplete without each other. Her tears slowly stopped as the minutes past but her grip on his shirt didn't loosen.

Natsume just continued to stare down at her as she relaxed into a deep sleep. Mikan's hands fell away from his arms and her head fell back. He lifted her into his arms with ease and brought her to his bed. He laid her down and pulled the blankets over her before tenderly kissing her forehead like she was a child.

Well thats it for the intro! Next chapter starts the real story so please stay tuned! Future chapters will also be longer but since this is only a preface it is only a small taste of what my abilities are!

If you have time and don't mind wasting it on be please leave a review!


	2. Declaration

**Thanks for the awesome reviews for the preface! They made me feel really good about my writing!**

**At this very moment I have no intentions of making this a lemon fanfic. I rated it M because the guidelines said that M was 16+. This fanfic will in fact have sexual themes close to lemon but not going that far and major language. Okay, on to chapter 1!**

**Chapter 1: Declaration**

Mikan awoke to the sun burning into her back. Her memories of the previous night were all a blur. Slowly she started to realize that the bed she laid in didn't belong to her, in fact she wasn't even her own room. She began to look around for someone else but she was alone, at least thats how it seemed.

Mikan let her legs fall off the side of the large bed and adjusted her body until her feet touched the ground. She pushed the blanket aside discovering that she was merely dressed in an old white t-shirt much to big for her tiny body. The "short" sleeves crawled down her shoulders until reaching the top of her elbows. The shirt fit like a dress covering her down to her knees, it seemed to big for even Natsume.

"Natsume..." She whispered as the thought of him reminded her that she was in his room and had been since the night before. She made her way to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror again. Her eyes were red around the base and they looked too big for her face, it was obvious that she cried a lot the night before. She sighed and dropped her head, thoughts of not going to class seemed very tempting right now. When she lifted her head back up her face wasn't the only one in the mirror.

"Morning." Natsume spoke softly. For a few seconds they stood their in silence just staring at their faces side by side in the mirror. "Are you feeling better yet? Last night was quite a scene." Still Mikan didn't answer, she was lost in her own world wondering about when she first came to this school. She was truly trying her hardest to remember her face from that time.

"Natsume? How did I look when we first met? How much has this school changed me..." Her voice trailed off as if her question was incomplete. Then, once again, her eyes unfocused and she was lost in her thoughts. Still, Natsume came up with answers.

"They say mirrors remember the faces of all that look into them. It is true that your appearance has changed but whose doesn't? Every one changes over time, not even I'm the same as I was when I first met you." He tried to explain though he knew that those weren't the answers she was looking for. "We better get going, school will start soon and you have to go get a uniform from your room."

*******

Mikan sighed standing outside the classroom door. She has to put on a strong front and smile in front of everyone in class, but some days it gets too hard. Today was one of those days. Even with makeup her eyes still told a story that she rather keep secret. Then she felt Natsume's hands on her shoulders. His familiar warmth seemed to make her fears disintegrate and slowly she regained the strength to open the door and happily smile to every one as she announced her presence in the room with a loud and happy "Good Morning!"

Natsume on the other hand simply walked to his seat silently pretending that he had nothing to do with the poorly sewed together girl bouncing into the room. He had to admit that Mikan put on a good act. If he didn't know any better he would have sworn that she was the same cheerful girl who had no idea what really went on in the world, the same girl she used to be.

Mikan continued to smile as she took her seat next to Natsume in the back corner of the classroom. Her face dropped knowing that no one would be able to see her now that she was behind them all. Natsume's hand lightly brushed hers under the desk. She looked at him from the corner of her eye but his emotionless face didn't answer any of her unasked questions.

Today was the meeting day for the class types. According to Persona there was going to be a new kid in the dangerous ability class. He wouldn't tell them anything but that and the fact that the boy has two alices.

Silently Mikan and Natsume passed through the halls full of excited people working together to make the upcoming graduation perfect. Every year they try to outdo the last, and somehow they always manage to do just that. Slowly the crowds became smaller and smaller and the halls became quieter and quieter until the only sounds left were the light footsteps of the awkward couple, the sound of Natsume's pant legs rubbing together and the light buzz that could still be heard from the crowded part of the school.

Finally they arrived at the secluded building in the school used only for the dangerous ability class. Natsume opened the door and everyone in the room looked up from what ever they were doing just to stare at the two people now entering to silent room. Only seconds later all the faces were back down looking at what ever was being used to keep the students busy.

"Good, now that we are all here," Persona spoke up appearing out of nowhere, "I can introduce our new member." Right on cue walked in a young boy, about 13 or 14. He was in junior high since he was wearing blue tartan pants. His mahogany hair fell over the left side of his face. The color of his eyes were jet black yet they seemed to shine with an intensity unseen in anybody else. A metal plate covered his left eye, only bits were seen through his hair but it seemed to be marked in some foreign characters. He had faded scars across his throat and both his wrist, they seemed more like scars created from being tied up for too long than scars created by knives. His eyes scanned the room over only stopping when his eyes met Mikan's. He raised his head and just continued to stare until another girl in the room cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry," The boy whispered more to himself than to the people around him. "My name is Tetsu Hajime, I possess the alices of clone and manipulation. Up until now I was in the Latent ability class but Persona-sensei told me that my talents were needed here. I hope that I am able to remain on good terms with all of you here." As he finished, Tetsu looked up at Mikan once more before looking down at the floor once again.

"There are no new missions for any of you here, if u have nothing to do here leave. When the students out now return introduce Hajime-san to them for me. That is all." Then, just as he appeared instantaneously, Persona seemed to just disappear into the darkest corner of the room.

"Should we get going, I don't want to spend anymore time here than necessary." Natsume asked Mikan softly as he left through the door they stood by. Before Mikan could follow after she was stopped by the invoking glance owned by Tetsu. Slowly Mikan turned to face him. In the time that Natsume left Tetsu had made his way to Mikan's side. Up close she was surprised by his height. He was easily 10 inches taller than her.

"C-Can I help you?" Mikan looked away from his eyes as she asked. She couldn't help but feel that he wanted something from her.

"Sakura-senpai, can I talk to you?" Tetsu asked hiding his eyes under his hair. Mikan was surprised that he knew her name, she was sure that they had never met before. That fact alone sparked curiosity inside of her. She looked up into his face and just nodded unable to think of anything to say.

"I, uh, really don't know what to say or how to start. I guess I'll tell you straight out, that would be the best way, the least confusing way, too. But I'm shy an I have a hard time talking to people, that goes double for girls..." He seemed to be debating with himself like Mikan wasn't even there. She continued to stare blankly into his face waiting for him to finish. Slowly her mind began to trail back to Natsume. Would he be waited for her on the other side of the door? Had he even realized that she was not with him? Then she got pulled back to reality.

"Well, I saw you for the first time a few years ago, you helped me out when I got lost on my way to my first ability class, anyway, ever since then I've had help to learn more and more about you, I know that sounds weird and stalkerish but, well, you see, I think that since the first time we met I've been falling in love with you!" Mikan's eyes widened at Tetsu's declaration, she had no idea what to think.

**To Be Continued**

**I know I said it would be longer but I'm tired and thats how I wanted this chapter to end. But it is longer than the last, just not by much.**

**Anyway, once again if you have time that you don't mind wasting on me please leave a review,**

**they make me happy!**

**^,...,^**


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